


Fly Like A Butterfly

by Sofuto



Category: Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio Future, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: One Shot, a description of a bite is there too, also apologies if they seem ooc, and himiko is mew, because the world needs more jet set radio fanfics, i guess i could make more if asked, implied dabi, implied izuku, just a heads up, long enough to be its own au maybe, partially inspired by the dance au, short enough to be its own story, twice is basically garam and i love it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 12:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15461748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sofuto/pseuds/Sofuto
Summary: “Those who seek the truth will fight tooth and nail in order to find it.”No one ever said that Himiko Toga was a good person. After all, she was a bulldozer trying to catch a butterfly.





	Fly Like A Butterfly

In the far side of the Skyscraper District of Musutafu, a blond-haired girl looked down upon the citizens as she readied her spray cans for the night. The wind lashed at her hair as she counted each of them individually, making sure that they were full enough to not run out of paint once she begins to work on a new graffiti piece. Her pouch couldn’t carry enough to do more than five medium-sized ones (which took at least three spray cans already to do for each one, a fact which she loathed whenever she wanted to paint the town red), but it’d be enough to do one extra-large one at the top of the Emperor’s Resting Place. The thought made her giddy, the smile on her face only growing as she thought of the other Rudies in the area acting as if they owned the city. Up there on the massive dragon would be HER own design, and these turf wars would only intensify as a result! Red lettering adorning the dragon’s teeth, purple and blue streaking alongside it… It’s not like she enjoyed the chaos, but, well, it was kind of hard NOT to want to start more considering that people were practically jumping at the opportunity to go out and take more territory for their own. She had heard stories of people who had managed to take hold of the whole of Musutafu, and she wanted to be just like them one day.  
  
This location is called Akumuzaka. Perpetually set in the night, this location is famous for its nightlife and its vivid colours blowing minds of anyone from the other two places in the city itself. While not quite as prevalent when it comes to turf wars, some of the most famous Rudies in the whole of Japan come from this side of Musutafu, and its dark scenery combined with alleyways makes it perfect for a place to run past and paint some signs upon the walls. The most important places to take note of are the Skyscraper District, where multiple buildings stand over the city-goers below (and is not the same as the location in Tokyo-to, instead bearing a similar name); Electric Park, where advertisements on bright billboards can be seen from miles away (and is not a copy of Pharoah Park, everyone will tell you); and, lastly, the crown jewel of Musutafu: the aforementioned Emperor’s Resting Place. This monumental micro-metropolis boasts more people than the entirety of the rest of Musutafu, and many more gangsters than in the sewers on the west side.  

Before she could do that, however, she needed to actually get a move on and start skating towards the Emperor’s Resting Place. Wrapping the pouch on her back, she sucked in a deep breath and began to slowly glide to the edge of the building, where a multitude of power wires extended towards Electric Park. She’d have to cut through it in order to make a quick trip to her destination, but it would still be fun. She fancied herself a fine skater that could make the journey in record time. Oh! She almost forgot the most important thing about tonight! Reaching into her skirt pocket, she took a bandana with a fang-like pattern on it and put it on. She almost looked like a vampire, what with her pale skin and what not, and that was exactly what she was presenting herself as. The Vampire of Akumuzaka (tentatively named)! Smiling, she moved back, consciously preparing herself for the herculean task ahead of her, before zipping forward with speed unmatched by anyone in that part of the city.

Her name was Himiko Toga, and she was going to make her mark on Musutafu that night.

Billboards zipped by as she fled across the power lines, broadcasting in bright neon paint and light: the 'Land of Dragons,' graffiti central of Musutafu, with the sign brandishing its collection of landmarks: Fire Road, Kawa Square, Stream in the Sky… She made a note to maybe expand her territory to the south and the west. Perhaps it might become beneficial to her later if she ever joins a gang. Hah! Like that could ever happen. She made a promise a long time ago to never join any kind of posse after what happened in the Skyscraper District. Taking care to not let any of her spray cans fall, Himiko jumped to another power cord, practising a trick that she was working on. Only then did she slap her head (both figuratively and literally, as she banged her head on one of the billboards while jumping; somehow, she managed to stay on, albeit with an incredible loss of speed) as she realises she forgot the most important part of the gig tonight.

She forgot the earphones. She forgot the music that was supposed to suit her most important heist of the month… no, the year… no, the decade! In fact, the whole city would have to be renamed after her once she was finished! Cursing internally, she simply tunes out the noises of her skates screeching against the rail, instead listening to the shopping mall below her. Its music was perfect for the night, and she found herself losing herself to the groove more often than not as the neon signs advertising food and other businesses threw her off track. She only snapped to attention once she noticed that she was running out of power cord to grind on. Just barely, she leapt off of the cord and landed on the roofs of the building housing a mall as she tried to rethink her plans. She was getting closer to Electric Park, and just a bit further down would be the Emperors’ Resting Place. Looking side to side, the skater figured that there was no harm in practising her spraying skills. One tag on a vacant space would be enough to show that she was here. Humming the bassline to the song playing in the distance, she slowly began to work on her art.

 

_“Can’t stop ‘til ya reach the top! Can’t stop ‘til ya reach the top!”_

 

Though she wished that they played something more her style, she had to admit that nothing felt better than dancing on rooftops to music like this. It made it better when the civilians saw the bandana on her face, nevermind her messy hair and what not. The smell of paint (mixed with other things that cannot be described; no one quite knows where the red pigmentation comes from) was always a joy to Himiko, and particularly so once she stepped back and looked upon her creation. She preferred each piece of hers to have a meaning, so this one had a little bit of her in it in more ways that one. The kanji for the word “Nightmare” was painted red on the side of the wall, with a black backdrop accompanying it. It was sharp, jagged, and overall morbid, but it fit her quite nicely. While looking at it, she failed to notice someone on the building opposite to the one she was already on; they caught her attention, causing her to spin around.

“Hey! What kind of style’s that? I’m digging the colour, but it’s too morbid for my liking and the colour looks all wrong… I don’t like it. _I LOVE IT!”_  
  
Himiko bit her tongue to keep down any stray remarks that would make sailors blush as she tried to eye the person that mocked her artwork. What she saw was a man with a white mask with black stitches down the middle with white eyes. The heckler seemed to be lightly built, with yellow skates with blue wheels clacking against the ground as he kept his feet constantly moving in strange patterns. All in all, he seemed to be like a masked gangster that she heard about in the south region of Musutafu; the thought of seeing someone from there in her turf actually made her blood boil, scrunching up her empty spraycan and throwing it behind her at her piece of art. He seemed to be busy dancing to the song that was playing, which she promptly began to do as well. Unlike her, he actually had headphones on him, which made her more than sore at that very moment. Despite this, she smiled, her tone as saccharine as molasses as she swayed from side to side, clapping her hands slowly to the beat.

“It’s my own, thanks! I’m trying to go for a… darker, crazy look! I’m glad to see that someone likes it!”

The man laughed, before leaping forward onto her building by wallriding on an adjacent billboard talking about how any Rudies caught would be given a $550 dollar fine for each piece of graffiti they made. Now that he was closer, she could get a clearer look on what he was like. In terms of style, he was erratic, with the patterns he moves his feet in zigzagging like lightning. She’d be lying if she said that she wasn’t impressed by what she was seeing, particularly since it actually fit to the beat of the song. Lanterns hanging from the building illuminated other features of him that she did not notice before, such as the bite marks on his clothing; the fact that his baggy pants seemed to hide more spray cans than he should be able to carry when doing tricks; and, most importantly, another mask on the side of his belt. Did he just have a backup plan for if he lost his mask? Now that she looked at him closely, he seemed to be dressed in a full-body suit…

“Of course I would! It really does look good! It’s terrible, though. So cool! Still lame! Either way, you’ve got a talent for making trash into gold!”  
  
He looks around for a moment or two, before training his gaze on her.  
  
“Aren’t Rudies like you meant to stay clear of places like these?”

This man was asking too many questions. Himiko cursed her idiocy for both forgetting her earphones and her knife, which she would have used to ward off any nosy people (and the police if they didn’t bring out the tear gas like they always do.)  
  
“Well, yes, but I’m moving to the Emperor’s Resting Place for… uh… for just a bit of sightseeing, y’know? The view up there’s one of the best in Musutafu! Ehehe~”

The unknown stranger then pointed at the sack that she was carrying, which almost tempted her to take it and throw it at the stranger to get him to shut up.

“Then what’s that thing for? Those’re spraycans, right? Useless, but you’re smart for thinking ahead!”  
  
For someone so nosy, he sure was attentive. She soon stops dancing, crossing her arms and looking displeased at the masked person. She was in no mood to waste any time considering that she was on a very important mission, and she would not risk getting caught because of someone acting stupid. Soon gearing herself up, she rushes over to the ledge and jumps, before—  
  
“Heeeeey, is that how you leave conversations? I haven’t been in this region before, but I wanted to go on a tagging spree since I’ve been here a load of times! Lemme in on the fun!”

With the contradictions being too much for her to process at that moment, she lost her temper. Himiko finally snapped, looking at the unknown man with a piercing gaze that would usually ward away someone sane. She could not lose any time, and this man was beginning to seriously test her patience on top of that.

“So? Why exactly should I bring YOU along? I don’t wanna be with someone I don’t even know! Do you think I’m stupid? I’m not stupid, I’m not stupid, I’m not stupid—”

A few unwelcome memories resurfaced, and she bit her lip trying to forget about them. Blood on the walls mixed with loud threats took hold of her very core once more, and the thought of _him_ being taken by the police began to intensify all because she hung around the wrong people at the wrong time and the Land of Dragons was a death penalty to any reasonable Rudie hanging about so why did she go there in the first place and oh, God, she was shaking again and she wishes that she was taken instead of her friend—

The man shrugged, before rolling up his sleeve and showing off the bite mark for Himiko to see, if only for a moment or two. Even with a brief second to look at it, she saw enough to stop her bad thoughts. Deep punctures with splotches of blood made themselves known to the two of them, the blue lanterns illuminating it clearly for her to see. There was some sort of strange mark on it. It seemed to be like a skull but without the jaw—maybe it was some sort of gang patch? As much as she hated to admit it, it intrigued her to see such a bite up close; she was no stranger to the fights on the streets, and she remembers setting up quite a few of them just to see how they would go. Obviously, they ended quite poorly, considering she still feels the pain from a skate colliding into her back. His voice snapped her out of her thoughts once more and he rolled up his sleeve, causing her to look up.

“If I was doing this to lie to you, then I wouldn’t be doing this. Except, well, I am. Kinda weird, right?"

He laughed, ignoring the look on the girl’s face.

“You know where these bites come from? Flowersong Hill. Everyone knows about it. You and I both know that those guys mean business. I’m here to get away from that, and I don’t want to be stranded here. Except I kind of do! It’s like exploring uncharted territory!”  
  
There was no way that he was from Flowersong Hill. Not from the west region from Musutafu. Not the place where the only other Rudie she could trust was kidnapped and “reported missing”, even though she knew that he wouldn’t have gone without a fight. The next words spilled out of her mouth without her even thinking, her amber eyes shimmering as she licked her lips. She hated having an attraction to blood among other body-related things, because it made moments like these especially embarrassing (and infuriating, since she wanted to give this person a piece of her mind for showing up from that godforsaken piece of territory).

“What’s your name?”

The man crossed his arms.  
  
“My name’s Twice. I can’t tell you my real name because I don’t want to, even if it’d be totally fun if I did. Don’t worry, I’m not in a gang… or am I? It’s like a mystery!”

Himiko scoffed, thankful that she still had her bandana on so she didn’t have to worry about hiding her disdain for his lively attitude. So far, from what she had seen, this “Twice” person seemed to be quite the enigma in terms of character; after all, with a dancing style like that, she’d be inclined to believe that he was practically insane. His feet moved in patterns, sure, but it was a miracle he didn’t dislocate from how quickly he did so, much less fall backwards. His outfit was strange, his manner of speaking was bizarre, and his place of origin didn’t exactly help him much. Flowersong Hill? The one place where gangs scurry about like rats in a cupboard? The thought made her sick… but if he wasn’t a part of a gang, then he had to be trusted, right? “Trust” wasn’t a word in her vocabulary for a long time, but maybe she could make an exception for someone as energetic as he is.  
  
She laughed.

“Fine. I guess I can let you tag along, but only until we get to my destination! What’s the plan?”

* * *

 

“You’re not serious.”  
  
He couldn’t be serious.  
  
“Yes, I _am_ serious! Well, I’m Twice, but there’s no difference, is there?”

There was no way he could be serious.  
  
“But… there’s… You can’t be serious!”  
  
If he was serious, then she was going to be seriously serious about ditching him in the middle of Electric Park.

“I AM! We’re gonna race to your destination together! No cheating whatsoever, unless I’m the one doing it, ‘kay?”  
  
Oh, God. She was going to have a _seriously_ hard time doing this.

Himiko Toga stood at the edge of the building that boarded the Skyscraper District and Electric Park together. It was an amazing contrast—a dark, large complex housing thousands of civilians bordering a highway with billboards advertising the craziest of things, with possibly even MORE people living there than before. She bit her lip from apprehension as she thought this through. Would she really be able to race him to the far side of the park by herself? It couldn’t be done without others chasing them, and especially so considering that she barely knew Twice, even if he made a damn (relatively) good first impression… She looked back at the dancing man, who seemed to be quite fine just grooving to whatever song they were playing now. He seemed quite confident in his abilities, and the one thing that she hates the most is when someone acts better than they really are. Puffing up her chest, she shouted to him.  
  
“Hey! Are we doing this or not? You’re beginning to boooore me. Races should be fun, and boredom is anything but fun!”  
  
Twice had the audacity to laugh, which caused her to groan in turn as she swayed to the beat as well. There was a massive change in music taste in each region, and it fitted them each, she supposed. The Skyscraper District was a monument when it came to engineering and housing tens of thousands of people, and served as the unofficial capital of Musutafu regarding technology, which multiple advancements and breakthroughs being made each day; it made sense that they would play upbeat music that would serve as great backdrops to crowded malls and neon signs. Electric Park, however, was neon signs and more, the whole region being the brightest city on earth. It was a customer’s theme park—multiple shops were open on a steep incline, situated on a hill that was steep enough to cause people on skates to trip over more often than note if they couldn’t skate properly. Therefore, it would only make sense if they played appropriately “funky” music; foreign music and more “outlandish” tunes blasted through every corner, providing quite an interesting location for many Rudies wanting to explore every nook and cranny.

 

 _“It is time for some classic performances that’ll appeal to party animals everywhere!_ _”_

Admittedly… it was a very catchy tune.

 

“Of course we’re doing this! Hey, think you can give me the name? I bet it’ll be just like your graffiti!”

She shrugged, before looking in his direction. She chose not to listen to his remark about her artwork, poking out her tongue instead.  
  
“My name’s Yakuza. Like a gangster, but better. Got it? You’re gonna have to earn my real name!”

Twice laughed, doubling over at her remark. Just one moment later, he stood up straight, peering over the rooftop and looking down upon the people below. What Himiko knew is that this man before her was a very erratic person in many ways, and that only intensified when she looked at his body language. He tended to be VERY expressive in that regard, but seeming him stand still was enough to make her take this race seriously. After a second, he casted a gaze towards her, speaking slowly and clearly, almost as if he was mocking her. The notion, quite frankly, pushed a lot of her buttons. It was a voice that was not his own.

“The thing I’m earning tonight… is _victory_ , Yakuza. That name doesn’t fit you. I’m thinking ‘Treble’, frankly, because it’s better than no trouble at all!”

She huffed. Who was this man to tell her what names were good and what names weren’t? She had earned that name after the encounter in the south side in Musutafu. Just because he was from the pile of trash that was Flowersong Hill didn’t mean that he had the permission to throw around stupid terms like those.

“‘Treble’? What? Are you serious? Shut up and get ready to race!”  
  
Twice stayed silent, as did she. The two of them stood at the edge of the roof, counting down the seconds for the clock to finish a full revolution. Though he said that they would race to the other side of the park, he never specified what kind of route they had to take, so she could easily blaze through Electric Park in a matter of moments. She had a plan to get there quickly and without exerting too much force on her feet, since she was still somewhat fragile. All she needed to do was stay on the power cords and avoid being on the ground since a multitude of people and cars were down there, which would hinder her a lot. It’s good, too, since she was practising her wall-riding skills the other night! It was a foolproof solution, and the clock was just about to tick to another minute, signalling the start of the race—

“Y’know, Yakuza… I’m here to seek the _truth_ about what happened to a friend of mine. Victory leads into that, y’know? Those who seek the truth will fight tooth and nail in order to find it.”  
  
“What the—?!”

Just two seconds later, Twice was gone, neon blue illuminating the rooftops as he jumped off and about to the finish line. She stood there with a wide-eyed stare, barely registering that the race had started, instead focusing on the fact that this man she barely knew had come to her about a friend of his. What did she have to do with any of this? Was she getting into something bigger than she could possibly comprehend? The slow beat of the music slowly brought her out of her trance, instead now focusing on the trail that he left behind. Scrambling forward, she leapt off of the roof, skates making contact with the cord and grinding upon it. He had a far lead ahead of her, and she couldn’t afford to lose. Not due to her pride possibly being bruised, of course, but because of what he said. If she won, he’d have to spill the beans. That’s how it worked in all those old movies she watched.

It wasn’t the time to think about westerns and other things like those. No, it was time for her to focus on getting there as quickly as possible. Jumping off of her power cord, Himiko shifted all of her weight to the left, hitting a billboard that damn near blinded her once her eyes adjusted to the luminosity. Unlike the dark Skyscraper District, Electric Park was eye candy to any tourists in the area; she found that her sense of direction had been skewered as a result, unable to process where Twice had gone. One miscalculation in movement lead her to fall to the ground with a loud yelp.

 

Since the park was situated on a hill, it only meant that she would begin to accelerate.

 

Wind began to whip at her hair as she began to count her prayers and ask every deity she could think of at the top of her head to make sure that her skates don’t bust out on her now and cause her to dislocate her foot from falling down from this hill. Twice had been on the rooftops while she was busy making sure that she doesn’t fall forward; at this point, it was a miracle she wasn’t panicking. She hadn’t gone at such high speeds before. Seeing a rail with spraycans laying on it, Himiko made a rash decision and decided to leap towards it, spreading out her legs as she collected them. This meant that she had to be nearing the finish line soon, right? She jumped once more, landing on the road again and soon coming to the middle of a massive marketplace filled with people. Much to her surprise (and, to be frank, her annoyance), Twice was there, dancing to the music as he admired the other graffiti on the billboards. She huffed as she finally glided over to him, looking around as she noticed a frightening amount of police around scrubbing said billboards. Wouldn’t it be stupid to hang around here since they could spot them at any opportunity?

“Twice?”

He looked right at her, laughing before motioning around. Something about his actions somewhat unnerved her greatly.  
  
“Look! It’s the men in blue! Wanna up the ante a bit?”  
  
Silence. Himiko didn’t want to answer, yet the words came spilling from her mouth like a waterfall.

“What the heck are you talking about—?”  
  
He then cupped his hands around his mouth, before shouting.  
  
“HELP! THIS GIRL STOLE SOME SPRAYCANS FROM ME! OH, THE HUMANITY!”

 

Had it not been for the fact that she didn’t have her knife on her at that moment, she would have struck down that idiot right where he was standing. The police on the ground looked at the two of them, before they began to run towards them. She blinked, and already Twice was zooming towards the detour that took them towards the Emperor’s Resting Place. Her legs buckled as her fears took hold of her, and she followed him in a blind panic just so she could run away from the police. She didn’t think twice about the people she rushed past in a daze, instead focusing on the fact that she was nearing the border to her destination. Twice, in the meantime, was laughing like a madman as he jumped over stalls and even people just to go faster. She didn’t hear anything else but her own rapid breathing. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a stray rail leading up to the rooftops once more. Forgoing any common sense and ignoring her instincts to run, Himiko darted to the rail and used her skates in order to get to the top in easy time. Neon blue light followed her in a trail as she got to the top, with Twice now right behind her as a result.

She couldn’t lose just yet. Her competitiveness only furthered to cause her to make an incredibly rash decision as she jumped forward onto the sign, riding it down to the end of the park. Now that she was finished, she looked around, before realising that she had finished in first place, with her competitor lagging behind as a result. Soon enough, her sheer happiness exploded, Himiko jumping and twirling around to celebrate her victory. Twice clapped as well as he jumped down beside her, laughing at how ridiculous the two of them must have looked.

  
“Not too shabby. You’re better at this than I thought. I’d hang about, but I’m antisocial. I’d be your friend, though!”

She stuck her tongue out yet again, rolling her eyes.

 

“I’m not a people person in general! I’d have to lie if I said you weren’t impressive, though.”  
  
“Hey, thanks! I’ve been working on my tricks for a long while, now, and doing it in the sewers gets old after a while! It’s all a new experience!”

Himiko rolls her eyes yet again, before raising her hand and catching his attention as she brandishes a spraycan.  
  
“Want it? I’ll only give it if you tell me who you’re looking for! I mean, like, you’re gonna need this for a tagging spree, y’know?”  
  
Considering her offer, Twice shrugged, before snatching the spraycan and nodding.

“Yeah, sure, I guess I’ll tell you. I’m looking for someone named… Kasai. I ain’t telling you his real name, because if you go blabbing, you’re gonna alert the authorities, and he’s landing in jail… though maybe he already is!”

“Then… why did you talk about ‘truth’ earlier? Were you just trying to be cryptic? That’s dumb!”  
  
He scoffed and crossed his arms, shoving the spraycan into his pants.  
  
“Excuse you, I spent a long time thinking about the right words to say to seem cool! Why should I care about about victory when I run from the cops on a daily basis? Pah! Too much effort, not enough time!”  
  
Groaning, she facepalmed.  
  
“And? What does he look like? Maybe he hangs around here often. I see a lot of people often, y’know.”

Twice put a finger to his chin for a moment, before nodding.  
  
“He’s got massive bags under his eyes… REAL bad purple skin. Stitches on his face and everything. You look at him and you move out the way because he means bad news… which is wrong, because he’s the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet!”  
  
Himiko pondered for a moment.  
  
“Sorry. I’ve never seen anyone like that.”  
  
“I should’ve guessed… but if you see him, tell me. Tell him that a Sweet Soul Brother was snooping around and that he should come home!”  
  
“A what—?”  
  
Police sirens began to blare as the two of them became suddenly aware of where they really were. They didn’t even need to speak before a loud voice made itself known. A police commander no younger than eighteen and his cadet stood at the forefront, blonde hair much like Himiko’s as he shouted to them something about justice and penalties for graffiti. She didn’t care much about that, but neither did Twice, from how he was carelessly dancing his worries away. In fact, he seemed just about ready to sprint, before he looked back with what seemed to be a smile under his mask.  
  
“Hey… Yakuza? You’re not too bad. Not like I’m saying you’re good or anything! A good racer’s hard to come by in Flowersong Hill. If you ever want a rematch, come by my turf sometime. Mind the gangs!”  
  
And, with that, Twice was gone, and Himiko was dealt with handling the police all by herself. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she smiled and nodded in his direction before skating off towards the Emperor’s Resting Place. Bullets whizzed by as she dashed away, but her sheer speed managed to aid her in dodging them all. She knew that it was a matter of time before she was caught by them, but tonight was not that night to think about what will and will not happen.

  
She came here with a goal.

 

She will leave with what she wanted.

 

* * *

 

Now that she had parted with Twice, Himiko found herself at the foot of the unforgettable Emperor’s Resting Place. The words he had said before they had left shook her to the core, but that didn’t stop her from taking the first steps up to the very top of her destination. What did SHE knew about his fellow Rudie? His “Sweet Soul Brother”, as he so eloquently put it? Were… Were Twice and Kasai once friends? She heard about someone by that name originating from this town, but he surely didn’t have anything to do with that man… Those words still resounded in her head, pounding with each step that she took. What could have happened so badly that she had to get involved? She would have to approach that idea another day. She came here to do something that would make her mark on Musutafu, and she would take any steps to make it happen. The police that Twice intentionally called on the two of them earlier had to have dispersed by now.

Each arduous step through the building made her head pound as she tries to understand what she got herself into. Of course she wouldn’t see that Kasai person around. It wasn’t possible that she could in such a small portion of a city she hadn’t seen until that point of time, much less actually talk to him considering how little she knew when it came to social skills. All she knew was how to paint lines and bust a move to hip hop and rock. She didn’t want to get involved with gangs ever again… though maybe she could at least try to help out. No, she didn’t want to do this out of the pity growing in her heart, neither the understanding of the feeling of pure helplessness once a treasured friend disappears from their life. She did it out of adventure, action; emotions had no place on the streets. She wasn’t a good person.

 

No one ever said that Himiko Toga was a good person. After all, she was a bulldozer trying to catch a butterfly.

 

At last, she had finally managed to get to the top of the building after a few breaks and checking that her spraycans hadn’t fallen out of her pouch. In the middle of the roof, a billboard with the name of the region stood tall and proud, looking down upon the people high from above. To many citizens, it was a reminder of what the city stood for, and what it would represent in the future. To Himiko, however, it was a simple canvas for one of her greatest pieces yet. After the emotions swirling in her heart dissipated, she was left with enough inspiration to do many more pieces after. Grabbing out a spraycan, she shook it for a few moments, before beginning to apply a coat of paint on the left side of the billboard. Rhythmic swishes of her hand began to wax together colours of all kinds (though mostly red), the sounds of traffic below acting as music to her ears. As she did, she thought of what had become of the city. It was true that it hadn’t gotten off nearly as badly as Tokyo-to, yes, but gang wars were still incredibly common. It was a miracle she hadn’t been killed a long time ago.

 

Now was not the time to think about those things. She let the sound of aerosol cans speak for itself.

 

Soon enough, she finished one half and moved onto the other. As she did so, she thought about if it was her fault that she became a Rudie. It was a trick of the mind, really—those times where you try not to think of something, and you promptly think about that specific thing. Thoughts like those were the bane of her existence, and she wished that she could focus on anything else instead of that. Why was she the one that got blamed for expressing herself to the world in her own way? It’s not fair. It’s not fair that her and countless others got arrested for doing things their way, and it’s certainly not fair that she’s simply told to stop when her way of life adapted around avoiding gangs and choosing her allies. Maybe what Musutafu needed was the streets to rise up and have a bit of fun for once? This would be the true beginning of a new age in that case! She already thought of a good name for this piece: “Fly Like A Butterfly”.

Red interspersed with shots of black served to create a perfect backdrop for a massive heart, a white shine on the left side of said heart. Outlining the black was a glowing gold, which set up the shadow of a butterfly. The title of the art piece was set over the top of this piece with jagged lettering and being coloured in a bright white. To anyone looking up at this monument, they would be certainly enchanted by such a bizarre sight on the billboard. To any Rudie, they would take it as a sign that their days of scurrying around like rats are over. The police couldn’t hold them down with shackles of law. The street has soul, and it won’t relinquish its freedom to the likes of them all for a promise for a false future! Those who seek the truth will fight tooth and nail in order to find it!

Himiko looked at her creation and smiled. It wasn’t anything special, no, but it was still something worth being proud of in the streets after all she’s been through. She had earned this, and she knew for a fact that she would go down in history for this. She thought about where Twice had gone once the cops came, and sighed. The blaring of the sirens below reminded her of reality, and her smiles faltered just a bit as she looked behind her. Those men with helmets, coupled with two helicopters and a tank as well… It would be hard to lose them considering the night made her neon skates and her costume stick out, but she knew the streets like the back of her hand at this point. Standing from atop of the building, she looked below on her chasers, and smiled. She would do it for him.

A green-haired policeman shouted out to her.

“You there! Come down, or face the consequences!”

She took a breath and stepped off of the roof, skates soon lighting up as she grinded down the massive dragon down the front of the building.

 

She flew like a butterfly.

  
_“Felt like a_ _—felt like a—felt like a-a-a—felt like a fly, like a butterfly…”_

**Author's Note:**

> Songs referenced:  
> Deavid Soul - Yappie Feet  
> Deavid Soul - Dunny Boy Williamson Show  
> Hideki Naganuma - Sweet Soul Brother  
> Hideki Naganuma - Fly Like A Butterfly
> 
> In which I forget that the Skyscraper District and Pharaoh Park are already a thing in Jet Set Radio Future and am utterly prepared when I say that the first Jet Set Radio is better than Jet Set Radio Future.


End file.
